Shoe tree with slidably connected spring loaded toe and heel sections



' Oct. 5, 1954 J. w. VAILLANCOURT 2,690,575 SHOE TREE WITH SLIDABLY CONNECTED SPRING LOADED TOE AND HEEL. SECTIONS Filed Oct. 9, 1951 Fig. 2

/5/ 22 /8 John M. Vail/ancoarf I N VEN TOR.

BY MM FM? Patented Oct. 5, 1954 SHOE TREE WITH SLIDABLY CONNECTED SPRING LOADED TOE AND HEEL SECTIONS John W. Vaillancourt, Santa Barbara, Calif., as-

signor to Evabco, Inc., Santa Barbara, Calif., a corporation of California Application October 9, 1951, Serial No. 250,545

2 Glaims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements and structura1 refinements in shoe trees, particularly shoe trees for children, and the principal object of the invention is to provide a very pleasing shoe tree which may be conveniently and easily manipulated during installation or removal from a shoe.

Some of the advantages of the invention lie in its simplicity of construction, in its pleasing appearance as aforesaid, and in its adaptability to economical manufacture.

With the above more important objects and features in view, and such other objects and features as may become apparent as this specification proceeds, the invention consists essentially of the arrangement and construction of parts as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the invention; and

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view thereof.

Like characters of reference are employed to designate like parts in the specification and throughout the several views.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, the invention consists of a shoe tree which is designated generally by the reference character It and embodies in its construction a toe section l2 and a heel section M, the two sections being movable toward and away from each other, as will be presently described.

The two sections, preferabl being formed from plastic material, are hollow, and the toe section i2 is provided at the bottom thereof with a rearwardly projecting, substantially flat extension l6 which is slidable in a recess It provided in the bottom portion of the heel section I4, the recess of the heel section I l having a fiat surface 22 which slidably engages a fiat upper surface 20 of the extension l6 whereby the two sections are prevented from rotating or turning axially, relative to each other.

The toe section I2 has a rear wall 24 which is provided with an inwardly extending well 2 5, while a horizontal pin 28, formed integrally with the section l2, projects outwardly and rearwardly from the inner end of the well 26 and terminates in an enlarged head 30.

The interior of the heel section I4 is provided with a chamber 32, the walls of which ar con- 2 nected to the front wall 34 of the heel section, the front wall 3 5 being formed with an aperture 36 through which the pin 28 slidably projects into the chamber 32. The head 30 is movable in the chamber and, by engaging the forward end of the chamber, the head prevents the sections l2, Hi from becoming separated.

A compression spring 38 is positioned on the pin 28 within the well 2'6- and in abutment with the front wall 3 3 of the heel section I l, thus urging the toe and heel sections in opposite directions. Needless to say, when th two sections are pressed together, the spring 38 is fully accommodated in the well 25, while the walls 24, 34 are in contact.

In order to substantially enhance the appearance of the shoe tree, the heel section 14 may be formed integrally with an ornamental figure 4t which projects upwardly from a shoe when the shoe tree is installed, and it is to be noted that the figure it together with the heel section It are preferably molded in two complementa1 pieces which are subsequently joined together, thereby facilitating the installation of the head 30 in the chamber 32.

It is believed that the advantages and use of the invention will be clearly understood from the foregoing disclosure and accordingly, further description thereof at this point is deemed unnecessary.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferred embodiment of this invention it is to be understood that minor changes in the details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A shoe tree comprising a hollow toe section having a flat back wall provided with a forwardly extending circular well having a closed front end, a pin rigidly secured to said end axially of said well whereby the well constitutes an annular chamber in said Well around said pin, said pin projecting rearwardly from said well, a complemental heel section movable toward and away from the toe section and having a flat front wall provided with an aperture slidably receiving said pin therein, an enlarged head provided on the rear end of said pin and engageable with the front wall of the heel section whereby to prevent the toe and heel sections from separating, means for preventing rotation of the heel section on said pin, and a compression spring positioned on said pin for urging said sections apart, said spring being receivable entirely in said chamber whereby said front and back Walls may be in abutment when said sections are drawn together.

2. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein said means comprises a rearwardly projecting extension provided at the bottom of said toe section and having a flat upper surface, said heel section being provided at the underside thereof with a recess receiving said extension, the recessed portion of the heel section havin a fiat bottom wall held 4' in sliding engagement with the flat upper surface of said extension by said pin.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 632,776 Brooks Sept. 12, 1899 711,025 Tyler Oct. 14, 1902 0 2, 94,885 Amico Sept. 8, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 37,325 France July 29, 1930 

